Chapter 13 #2
“Ms. Van Blair, I have the tea that Mr. Stone requested. He was very adamant about how you liked it to be made,” she said, smiling at Dev.
Dev glanced at me, smiling softly. Then, she sat up and grabbed her tea from the attendant. “Thank you. He knows exactly what I like.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. “Mr. Stone, would you like something to drink? Breakfast will be out directly.”
“Water,” I said, watching Dev while she watched me.
I didn’t even wait to hear what the flight attendant said. I was too focused on my baby. This time, I wasn’t letting her go.
“Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?” she asked, blowing into her tea.
“You know I’m not,” I said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Just know, I did Valentine’s Day right.”
“Okay,” she murmured, leaning back into me. “I trust you.”
Trust. That’s what I was waiting for. I wanted her body, and I wanted more of her time, but I wanted her trust back more than anything. Now that I had it, I’d do anything to keep it. She’d always remember Aspen. I had it all planned out to make sure she’d never forget.
Once our flight landed, Devyn knew exactly where we were. She sat beside me in the back seat, bouncing up and down and looking out the window.
“Zani, this is perfect! You did so good, baby!”
I just watched how her eyes sparkled. Her smile hadn’t faded since we got off the jet. She moved closer to me and grabbed my hand, holding it tight.
“Where are we going first? If we’re going skiing, I need to change my clothes first. Can we build a snowman? Pleaseee?” She was so excited she couldn’t sit still.
I chuckled, kissing the back of her hand. “We gon’ do all that, but I got something planned already. Relax, baby. I got this.”
She leaned into me again and slid her shades back on, smiling. Devyn had no idea how much went into making her look at me like that, but I’d show her, one surprise at a time.
Her first surprise was right up ahead. When the truck stopped, she looked around until her eyes landed on the helicopter.
“You didn’t!” She squealed, popping up. “Oh, my God! Come on. I’m ready.”
I just shook my head, laughing as the driver opened the door. Dev put her hand in mine, and I helped her out. The pilot was an older Black man, a retired Air Force member, so I knew she’d be safe.
When we made it to the helicopter, it was ready to go, and so was Devyn by the way she was squeezing my hand.
“Mr. Stone,” he said, holding his hand out for me to shake. “Everything’s ready to go. Ready?”
“Yes!” Devyn answered for us both.
“Alright.” He chuckled. “Let’s get us in the air.”
I helped Devyn inside, then climbed in behind her. She let me strap her in, then I slid the headset over her ears. Her eyes softened, looking back at me like she was back in love with me for real. And I knew she was. She wouldn’t have come with me if she wasn’t.
“Baby… I love you,” she said softly.
“Yeah, I know. Just remember to show me how much later.” I leaned in slowly and kissed her the way I’d been wanting to since before she got on the jet.
“Just wait,” I said against her lips. “This won’t be the last time you tell me today… or tonight.”
Once I was strapped in, Devyn grabbed my hand and leaned into me. She didn’t even realize how easy she was moving with me again. It was almost like she forgot what I did, or maybe she really forgave me. Either way, I had her right where I needed her.
She laughed and pointed at everything she saw. Genuinely fuckin’ happy, and I was the reason. I patted my pocket, making sure the ring was still there, while I watched Dev tell me about different shit she saw and places she wanted to visit before we left.
The pilot circled back around to where the truck was waiting and started landing.
“What’s next? Are we going to ride snowmobiles? Maybe some hot chocolate? Ouuu, shopping! We can go shopping.” Her words ran together, tryna figure out what we were doing next.
“Nah, baby.” I chuckled, listening to her ramble. “I already got plans. We need to get to this lodge so we can go skiing. I already got a snow suit and shit for you to wear.”
“What kind?” She pouted like I didn’t know her style.
“Something you like. You doubting me already?” I asked, lifting her chin and brushing my lips against hers.
“No, I think you know me well enough.” She grinned, lacing her fingers in mine as the helicopter landed.
We jumped off the helicopter and went straight to the truck. The closer it got to me giving her this ring, the faster my heart beat. But I was ready. If she didn’t know how much I loved her after this, I didn’t know what else I could do to prove it.
Devyn and I stood outside the lodge, waiting for the gondola to get us.
The Moncler snowsuit I got for her fit just right.
The cream against her brown skin looked good.
The big Chanel goggles she wore set it off for real.
She refused to put on gloves until she started skiing, so she stood in front of me with her hands shoved in my pockets.
“I told your hard-headed ass to put gloves on.” I laughed, watching her shiver.
“My gloves didn’t look good with my outfit.” She pouted. “Besides, I like your pockets better.”
I shook my head, laughing and wrapping my arms around her. The gondola was almost here, and it was almost time.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get on.”
As soon as she turned around, it stopped in front of us. I helped her first, then jumped on behind her. I sat down, tryna get the nerve to pull out the box while her back was turned to me. She looked everywhere but at me, so it gave me some time to steady myself.
She still had her back turned to me, but she was staring at something silently. Her body was frozen in place when I followed her line of sight and saw a family. A young, black family with three kids. One baby, maybe one year old, and two little girls, no more than six or seven.
I felt everything Devyn was feeling in that moment. What I could have had… what she could have had. But it was what I hoped to have with her one day, if she let me.
“They have a beautiful family,” she whispered, still watching them.
“Do you want that, baby? You want a family?” I asked, pulling out the ring box.
She didn’t answer me right away. The family walked over to a play area, and that’s when she turned around. Her eyes dropped straight to my hand, to the box, and everything in her face changed. Some fear, shock, but under all that, love for me.
“Azani,” she breathed, shaking her head and taking a step back from me. “What are you doing?”
I watched her, tryna stay calm and steady, even though my chest was tight as hell. She looked up at me, then back at the ring, gripping her own hands. I could see them shaking from where I sat.
“I know we got time,” I said quietly. “This ain’t that. This is my promise to you.”
Her eyes flicked back to mine, searching my face, tryna figure me out. I lifted the box a little, opening it slow enough for her to see. Her lips parted, and for a second, she didn’t say anything. She just stared at it, then back at me, tryna decide if I was for real.
“A promise?” she whispered.
“Yeah, baby,” I said softly. “Ima do right. I’m not playing about you. Everything I told you, I meant that shit.”
Her eyes watered, and she finally moved toward me instead of away from me.
“I’m scared, Zani. You sure?” Her voice shook as she wiped the tears that fell down her cheeks.
“I’ve been sure. I don’t wanna lose you, Dev. That’s all I’m asking.”
She let out a shaky breath, then reached for me instead of the ring and fell right into my lap. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she buried her face in my shoulder. I held her against my chest, rubbing her back, hoping she felt how serious I was about doing right.
“Just say yes to us… I wanna be yours again.”
She pulled back slowly, looked down at the ring, then back at me. “Yes,” she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“You gon’ let me put it on you?” I gripped her waist, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind.
She nodded, holding her hand out. I grabbed it gently, kissing her finger, then slid it on. She held her hand up to the light, smiling. Devyn was my future, and I hoped this ring would show her how serious I was. Fuck everything else. It was always gon’ be us against whatever came with it.
“You ain’t gon’ take it off if I make you mad?” I asked, smirking at her.
“No, I won’t take it off,” she said softly, pressing her lips against mine.
“I love you, Dev. Ima give you whatever you want. Just ask me, and I’ll do it.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “I love you, too.”
The gondola stopped, and Dev still sat on my lap, staring at me, then back at the ring. I could feel her heart racing, but mine was too. She said yes, but that didn’t mean I could slip up and go back to how I handled her before.
She stood, grabbed my hand, and then we stepped off the gondola. There was a group of people waiting for the instructor. While we waited, Dev wrapped her arms around my waist and lay her head on my chest.
“I’m happy,” she whispered.
I looked down at her, lifted her chin, then brushed my lips against hers. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”
She tucked her head back against my chest and held me tighter. I felt like it had been forever since she let me have this side of her. Losing it again wasn’t an option. The time we spent apart, the boundaries, her cutting me off—that shit hurt. But she was back, and this time, I was keeping her.
I could lose everything else… but not her.
By the time we left the slopes, my whole body was sore. I chased Dev down the mountain, tryna keep up. She never told me her ass could ski, but I should have known. I busted my ass on that last round, and that was enough for me.
She spent the whole ride back running her mouth. Clowning me on how many times I fell. A nigga ain’t do none of this shit, but I did it for her. The way she held my hand, talked to me softer, and touched me like there was never distance between us.